General manager Walt Jocketty revealed last week that he’d talked to Edgar Renteria’s agent and today John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirerwrites that “it’s believed that the Reds have an offer out to” the veteran shortstop.

Last month the Giants reportedly offered Renteria a one-year, $1 million deal to re-sign after winning World Series MVP honors, but after earning $10 million last season and at least $6 million every year since 2003 he took the proposed pay cut as an insult, saying:

That offer from the Giants was a lack of respect. A total disrespect. To play for a million dollars, I’d rather stay with my private business and share more time with my family. Thank god I’m well off financially and my money is well invested.

There hasn’t been much speculation surrounding Renteria since then and there’s little chance of the Reds offering him a whole lot more than $1 million considering he wouldn’t even be guaranteed to start over Paul Janish at shortstop and they have Scott Rolen and Brandon Phillips locked in at third base and second base.

If he wants to keep playing at age 34, after 15 seasons, Renteria will have to take a part-time role and a significant cut in salary.

Ryan Garko spent 2007-2009 as a starting first baseman for the Indians and Giants, but played most of this season at Triple-A after being claimed off waivers by the Rangers.

And now he’s headed to Korea.

Apparently unable to land a major-league deal as even a part-time player, Garko has signed with the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization. According to the Korea Herald he’ll make a base salary of $250,000 and also gets a $50,000 signing bonus, so Garko will make about 75 percent of the MLB minimum.

Garko is a 29-year-old career .274/.347/.434 hitter who has always fared well against left-handed pitching, but when you’re a defensively challenged first baseman without a ton of power the jobs dry up in a hurry.

Last month the Giants declined their $10.5 million 2011 option on Edgar Renteria just three days after he was named World Series MVP, but John Shea of the San Francisco Chroniclereports they’ve offered him a one-year contract “to be a utility infielder.”

Renteria has never started a game at a position other than shortstop in his 15-year career and has also never been a backup when healthy, coming off the bench for just 46 of his 2,028 games.

According to Shea the deal would likely be for around $1 million after the Giants signed Miguel Tejada for $6.5 million to start at shortstop. Renteria would back him up and also could enter the mix at second base and third base in place of Freddy Sanchez or Pablo Sandoval. He hasn’t earned less than $2 million in a season since 1998 and has been paid at least $6 million in every season since 2002.